In one of the latest experiments on Google Labs called Illuminate, some new features seem to be on the way. Illuminate allows users to generate a podcast based on books or research papers available in certain libraries. Currently, the experiment is only available in the US and has a limited number of websites from which files can be uploaded. Unlike NotebookLM, Illuminate lets users provide a detailed prompt to control aspects like the podcast’s audience, its length, the tone of voice, and similar elements. This makes it more customizable than NotebookLM, which doesn’t offer the same level of flexibility.
What makes Illuminate stand out even further are some upcoming features. One of these features is the ability to pick host and guest voices from six different options. This would add more variety to podcasts, as it’s currently easy to spot a podcast generated by NotebookLM, for instance.
Another feature that caught my attention is the ability to edit transcripts and regenerate the content. Illuminate podcasts come with transcripts you can read and view. Soon, there could be a feature allowing users to edit these transcripts, add new sections manually, and move sections around. This makes the tool very useful for podcast creators, giving them the ability to fine-tune the script or add content generated by an LLM, and then ask Illuminate to regenerate the podcast based on these edits. Even though these features are still in development and there’s no clear timeline for their release, they seem promising, particularly for podcasters and hosts looking for more creative control over their content.
